Heather Lynn PetersIt took years, but I finally found my favorite wine...and haven't let it out of my sight since!

Several years ago I walked into a Ludington restaurant and ordered the best glass of wine I'd ever had: Hill of Content, a South Australian Grenache (90 percent)-Shiraz (10 percent) blend (14.5 percent alcohol).

Strawberries and spices pretty much leaped out of the glass. It wasn't too dry, not too sweet and had a perfect balance of earthy and fruit flavors.

At last! I had found that perfect glass of red wine, and spent the next year and a half trying to find it on the shelves of wine specialty stores — everywhere.

But it wasn't easy.

When I went out to eat, I always checked the restaurant wine lists hoping it was there.

No dice.

I continued to strike out until one day the former Sardine Room in Muskegon had it on their wine list.

I thought I'd died and gone to red-wine heaven.

The owner agreed to order me the stuff by the case every once in a while when he put in his orders and I would save the bottles for special occasions. (I even foolishly gave them as gifts around Christmastime. Silly me. I should have hoarded.)

Then, the Sardine Room went out of business and I didn't get to enjoy Hill of Content for a long, long time.

Then I met Fred.

Fred Bowen Jr., from Oceana County, is the world's friendliest wine expert. He will find you the wine you're looking for, come hell or high water.

Not so long ago, Bowen took his wine expertise to Hansen Foods in Hart and now Bowen makes sure Hill of Content is on the shelf. Other wine specialty shops will probably order it for you too if you just ask. (If not, there's always the Internet. I saw several websites that feature this label online.)

Heather Lynn PetersGrenache is easily blended with other varietals.

I'm not going to lie: It's a $15 bottle of wine, which is more than I'd like to pay.

But it's worth it.

So save it for a special occasion. Enjoy it. Savor every sip, because an incredible bottle of red like this only crosses your lips once in a while.

Meanwhile, looking for wine pairing ideas for this wine and others like it?

Check out this article from Wine Press Blogger. It really lays it all out there for you. The blend is versatile and easy to pair, but goes best with a big, juicy steak!